The aroma of saffron is complicated and multifaceted. It’s usually described as having a candy, hay-like perfume with delicate metallic notes. Some detect nuances of floral scent, paying homage to honey or a barely pungent earthiness. This distinctive olfactory profile is attributed to the presence of assorted unstable natural compounds, primarily picrocrocin, safranal, and crocin.
This distinctive scent contributes considerably to saffron’s worth and culinary purposes. It enhances the flavour profiles of dishes, offering a depth and complexity that’s extremely wanted. Traditionally, its perfume has been appreciated not solely in cooking but in addition in perfumery and conventional drugs, the place it was believed to own therapeutic properties associated to temper enhancement and rest.